Essays

Published in 1989, James Lee Burke’s Black Cherry Blues was the first of his two books to win the Edgar Award for Best Novel (his other came in 1998 for Cimarron Rose). It is the third in Burke’s signature series starring Detective Dave Robicheaux, a recovering alcoholic and Vietnam War veteran from New Iberia, Louisiana.…

Skeptical about DNA testing and family ancestry tests? Colleen Coble has you beat. Join Colleen, author of Strands of Truth, as she lists inventive story ideas involving the potential misuse and abuse of DNA data. You may want to think twice before spitting in that cup… Test your DNA and find out who you really are.…

Join Bella Ellis—author of The Vanished Bride, the first book in the Brontë Sisters Mystery series—as she uncovers some fascinating facts about the famous literary sisters we thought we knew so well. Read through and comment on this post to enter for a chance to win a copy of The Vanished Bride. I have always…

In a time when Russian malfeasance on the global stage dominates our discourse, it’s refreshing to read a book that explores the humanity and tenderness of the Russian people. A Cold, Red Sunrise, the fifth in the Inspector Rostnikov series, takes place toward the end of the Cold War. Ordinary people are at the mercy…

I’ve been writing young adult fiction since 2008—the height of the Twilight craze—and I often hear new writers being told that certain genres won’t sell in YA. This is particularly true of mystery fiction, and I strongly disagree because the very nature of the teen audience means there is a market for every well-told story.…

Join Michael Laurence, author of The Extinction Agenda, for a discussion on conspiracy theories and see if you can determine which notorious theories from history proved to be true and which ones were debunked. Bonus: Read through and comment on the post below for a chance to win a copy of The Extinction Agenda, available…

Inspired by the upcoming anniversary of the Gulf War, Siri Mitchell, author of State of Lies, compiles a list of the most memorable characters from pop culture who served in and were changed by the war. As the 30th anniversary of the Gulf War approaches I’ve been thinking about how war can be an incubator…

Aaron Elkins’ Old Bones, the fourth novel in the Gideon Oliver Mysteries series, won the Edgar Award in 1988 and has been continuously in print since then. With its elegant prose and dialogue-heavy writing, the book is a master class in classic whodunits and one of the first modern novels to delve deep into forensic…

Join Louise Jensen, USA Today bestselling author of The Sister, as she shares writing tips and discusses 4 necessary elements all suspense novels should have. Her new novel, The Date, is available now! Currently, I’m writing my 6th psychological thriller and although my suspense novels all have completely different plots there are four main things…

My love of both humor and illicit behavior started at a very young age, ignited by watching my two older brothers try to kill one another over the rights to whatever toy came in the box of Trix breakfast cereal my mother had just bought. Silly rabbit, bloodlust is for kids. As I grew up,…